diff --git a/pkg/cli/release_candidates.go b/pkg/cli/release_candidates.go
index 35564f6e42f..7fff8a1ae0a 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/release_candidates.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/release_candidates.go
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@ package cli
 import (
 	"slices"
 
+	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/logger"
 	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/semverutil"
 )
 
+var releaseCandidatesLog = logger.New("cli:release_candidates")
+
 type releaseCandidate struct {
 	tag     string
 	version *semverutil.SemanticVersion
@@ -15,6 +18,7 @@ type releaseCandidate struct {
 // applies the major-version compatibility rule, and returns candidates sorted
 // newest-first.
 func sortedCompatibleReleaseCandidates(releases []string, currentVer *semverutil.SemanticVersion, allowMajor bool) []releaseCandidate {
+	releaseCandidatesLog.Printf("Filtering %d release(s) for compatibility: allowMajor=%v", len(releases), allowMajor)
 	var compatibleReleases []releaseCandidate
 	for _, release := range releases {
 		releaseVer := parseVersion(release)
@@ -38,6 +42,7 @@ func sortedCompatibleReleaseCandidates(releases []string, currentVer *semverutil
 		}
 	})
 
+	releaseCandidatesLog.Printf("Found %d compatible release candidate(s)", len(compatibleReleases))
 	return compatibleReleases
 }
 
@@ -54,5 +59,6 @@ func newerReleaseCandidates(candidates []releaseCandidate, currentVer *semveruti
 			newer = append(newer, c)
 		}
 	}
+	releaseCandidatesLog.Printf("Retained %d candidate(s) newer than current version out of %d", len(newer), len(candidates))
 	return newer
 }
diff --git a/pkg/fileutil/executable.go b/pkg/fileutil/executable.go
index 7fae34cd1b3..0883f786a23 100644
--- a/pkg/fileutil/executable.go
+++ b/pkg/fileutil/executable.go
@@ -7,11 +7,16 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+
+	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/logger"
 )
 
+var executableLog = logger.New("fileutil:executable")
+
 // ValidateExecutablePath validates that an executable path is absolute, resolves
 // symlinks when possible, points to a file, and is executable on non-Windows platforms.
 func ValidateExecutablePath(path string) (string, error) {
+	executableLog.Printf("Validating executable path: %s", path)
 	cleanPath, err := ValidateAbsolutePath(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
@@ -40,6 +45,7 @@ func ValidateExecutablePath(path string) (string, error) {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("executable path %q is not executable", cleanPath)
 	}
 
+	executableLog.Printf("Validated executable path: %s -> %s", path, cleanPath)
 	return cleanPath, nil
 }
 
@@ -49,8 +55,10 @@ func ResolveExecutablePath(name string) (string, error) {
 		return "", errors.New("executable name cannot be empty")
 	}
 
+	executableLog.Printf("Resolving executable from PATH: %s", name)
 	path, err := exec.LookPath(name)
 	if err != nil {
+		executableLog.Printf("Executable %q not found on PATH: %v", name, err)
 		return "", err
 	}
 	if !filepath.IsAbs(path) {
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/mcp_setup_scripts.go b/pkg/workflow/mcp_setup_scripts.go
index 659511b03b8..082a71540b1 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/mcp_setup_scripts.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/mcp_setup_scripts.go
@@ -6,13 +6,19 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/constants"
+	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/logger"
 	"github.com/github/gh-aw/pkg/sliceutil"
 )
 
+var mcpSetupScriptsLog = logger.New("workflow:mcp_setup_scripts")
+
 func generateMCPScriptsSetup(yaml *strings.Builder, workflowData *WorkflowData) error {
 	if !IsMCPScriptsEnabled(workflowData.MCPScripts) {
+		mcpSetupScriptsLog.Print("MCP scripts not enabled, skipping setup generation")
 		return nil
 	}
+
+	mcpSetupScriptsLog.Printf("Generating MCP scripts setup: tools=%d", len(workflowData.MCPScripts.Tools))
 	yaml.WriteString("      - name: Write MCP Scripts Config\n")
 	yaml.WriteString("        run: |\n")
 	yaml.WriteString("          mkdir -p \"${RUNNER_TEMP}/gh-aw/mcp-scripts/logs\"\n")
@@ -45,6 +51,7 @@ func generateMCPScriptsSetup(yaml *strings.Builder, workflowData *WorkflowData)
 	yaml.WriteString("        run: |\n")
 	mcpScriptToolNames := sliceutil.MapKeys(workflowData.MCPScripts.Tools)
 	sort.Strings(mcpScriptToolNames)
+	mcpSetupScriptsLog.Printf("Writing %d MCP script tool file(s)", len(mcpScriptToolNames))
 	for _, toolName := range mcpScriptToolNames {
 		toolConfig := workflowData.MCPScripts.Tools[toolName]
 		if err := appendMCPScriptToolFile(yaml, workflowData, toolName, toolConfig); err != nil {
@@ -98,6 +105,7 @@ func generateMCPScriptsSetup(yaml *strings.Builder, workflowData *WorkflowData)
 
 func appendMCPScriptToolFile(yaml *strings.Builder, workflowData *WorkflowData, toolName string, toolConfig *MCPScriptToolConfig) error {
 	if toolConfig.Script != "" {
+		mcpSetupScriptsLog.Printf("Appending MCP script tool %q (type=js)", toolName)
 		toolScript := GenerateMCPScriptJavaScriptToolScript(toolConfig)
 		jsDelimiter := GenerateHeredocDelimiterFromContent("MCP_SCRIPTS_JS_"+strings.ToUpper(toolName), toolScript)
 		if err := ValidateHeredocContent(toolScript, jsDelimiter); err != nil {
@@ -111,6 +119,7 @@ func appendMCPScriptToolFile(yaml *strings.Builder, workflowData *WorkflowData,
 		return nil
 	}
 	if toolConfig.Run != "" {
+		mcpSetupScriptsLog.Printf("Appending MCP script tool %q (type=sh)", toolName)
 		toolScript := GenerateMCPScriptShellToolScript(toolConfig)
 		shDelimiter := GenerateHeredocDelimiterFromContent("MCP_SCRIPTS_SH_"+strings.ToUpper(toolName), toolScript)
 		if err := ValidateHeredocContent(toolScript, shDelimiter); err != nil {
@@ -125,6 +134,7 @@ func appendMCPScriptToolFile(yaml *strings.Builder, workflowData *WorkflowData,
 		return nil
 	}
 	if toolConfig.Py != "" {
+		mcpSetupScriptsLog.Printf("Appending MCP script tool %q (type=py)", toolName)
 		toolScript := GenerateMCPScriptPythonToolScript(toolConfig)
 		pyDelimiter := GenerateHeredocDelimiterFromContent("MCP_SCRIPTS_PY_"+strings.ToUpper(toolName), toolScript)
 		if err := ValidateHeredocContent(toolScript, pyDelimiter); err != nil {
@@ -139,6 +149,7 @@ func appendMCPScriptToolFile(yaml *strings.Builder, workflowData *WorkflowData,
 		return nil
 	}
 	if toolConfig.Go != "" {
+		mcpSetupScriptsLog.Printf("Appending MCP script tool %q (type=go)", toolName)
 		toolScript := GenerateMCPScriptGoToolScript(toolConfig)
 		goDelimiter := GenerateHeredocDelimiterFromContent("MCP_SCRIPTS_GO_"+strings.ToUpper(toolName), toolScript)
 		if err := ValidateHeredocContent(toolScript, goDelimiter); err != nil {